1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and bio-resorbable plates and membranes and, more particularly, to tools for applying these plates and membranes to defected bone to splint, contain and provide support for the bone to heal.
2. Description of Related Art
A resorbable plate or membrane is typically manufactured with one or more apertures through which the surgeon can affix the plate or membrane to bone. A widely used technique for fixating a defected bone includes affixing a bio-resorbable internal fixation device over a defected bone segment or other bone defect to provide support while the bone defect heals. The internal fixation device, such as a plate or membrane, is affixed to the damaged bone about the bone defect. The bio-resorbable plate or membrane may be first heated, causing it to become malleable. Once malleable, the bio-resorbable plate or membrane is molded to conform to the contour of the bone area, and subsequently affixed over that area by, for example, screws to fixate the membrane to the bone. This general technique is set forth, for example, in Lemperle et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,234 entitled RESORBABLE, MACRO-POROUS, NON-COLLAPSING AND FLEXIBLE MEMBRANE BARRIER FOR SKELETAL REPAIR AND REGENERATION, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. During the application process the plate or membrane hardens as it cools, which may leave, for example, imperfectly seated portions of the plate or membrane that have been placed prior to the plate or membrane hardening. In some instances, the surgeon must then remove the membrane, heat it, and attempt to position the membrane over the bone defect once again. Moreover, additional time and inconvenience is required for the positioning and securing of the screws into the plates or membranes. Neuro-surgeons, for example, would generally prefer to not be bothered with threading of an aperture drilled in a bone via the use of a tapping device, with the positioning of a screw properly so that the threads are engaged but not crossed and, subsequently, with the threading of the screw into the threaded aperture to the proper tightness so that the screw is not too loose and yet is not damaged by over-tightening.